Goa is fast becoming a financially-rewarding State for aspiring entrepreneurs in their 20s and 30s these days. According to them, this quaint little place offers more than just sun, surf and beaches with white sands. It is now beginning to offer business opportunities to the next generation which wants to have the best of both the worlds – India’s party hub has done well for itself in the past few years, with the setting up of modern infrastructure, and creation of an environment tailor-made for innovation. Goa offers work-life balance like no other State.

To top it all, the State Government is highly supportive in providing ease of doing business by cutting the bureaucratic red tape and bringing in investments for infrastructure development. Add to all of this the soul of Goa – its humble people, clean air with plenty of oxygen, the Arabian Sea, the quiet life, the beaches…. And what you have is Start-up paradise!

DS Prashant, general manager at the Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration (CIBA) in Goa, a public-private venture set up in April 2012 with support from Department of Science and Technology, government of India, and Department of Science, Technology and Environment, government of Goa, is an optimist man. He says, and it’s clearly visible, that Goa offers the benefit of the presence of a large number of engineering graduates from local, Goan colleges. There are other unusual alternatives, such as food processing, clean technologies and solid waste management that are focus areas for the BJP Government. All of this is pulling enterprising young guns to its land.

Goa IT Innovation Centre (GITIC) mentors and facilitates funding for new, virgin players through low-cost infrastructure and access to business networks. The State is already strategically located, with seamless access via road, rail, sea and airports. Rough estimates reveal the presence of around 250 IT startups already operating out of Goa.

Some of the Start-ups that have made their way into the State are: Smart City Slickers, A 360o Turn, Eat, Pray, Work, Liqueur is Quicker, The Homecoming, and many more.

So next time you are in Goa for vacation, look around, keep your eyes open. You might find an opportunity to take life to another level.